On 31 July 2015, Tom Fletcher, the outgoing British ambassador to Lebanon, signed off with an open letter on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website to the country he had served in for four years, titled “So . . . Yalla, Bye”. [...] The blog went viral and generated much discussion in Lebanon.

In India, dabbawalas are using their world-renowned delivery techniques to pass on surplus wedding food to the poor, as Matthew Wheeler and Priti Gupta found out, while in Lebanon, FoodBlessed's "hunger heroes" showed Carolina Valladares and Mohamad Chreyteh their food rescue techniques.

Indie moviemakers often take on other roles—entrepreneur, advocate, teacher. Add cultural ambassador and diplomat to that list for some of America’s top cinematic thinkers.

In spite of persistent conflict and the rapidly changing political  configurations across the Middle East, Arab countries must galvanise around their common interests [...] Additionally, a shared language, cultural affinity and a rich resource base must act as rallying points to bring the region together.

A modest proposal for how Lebanon’s garbage could bring an end to the fiercest rivalry in the Middle East. What’s the connection between the garbage piling up on the streets of Lebanon and the war in Syria? The geopolitical rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Saying goodbye can take many forms, but none quite like a farewell blog post penned by the United Kingdom’s departing ambassador to Lebanon, Tom Fletcher: “Sorry to write again. But I’m leaving your extraordinary country after four years. Unlike your politicians, I can’t extend my own term.”

An event to celebrate the cultural exchange between Beirut and Berlin, two cities which have clearly positioned themselves as creative and artistic hubs in their respective regions, kicked off Thursday.